Don't Worry
by soniczelda nerd
Summary: Fledge is just an ordinary normal guy, but is under distress because of his orientation. After Link and Zelda help him from Groose, Fledge speaks with Link about his issue. Discussion of homosexuality is present, so fair warning. Very small Link x Fledge in the story, but not by a lot. Read and Review.


**Hello. This is a quick little story that I had in mind a few months before my 5 month hiatus from fanfiction (Not planned). This fanfic goes to a bit of a touchy subject for some people, but I wanted to make this because it was something I always talked about with myself (Don't judge me) and I wanted to give my piece of the pie, or at the very least, some encouragement for others. I hope you enjoy the fanfic, and be nice about this.**

 **Link, Fledge, Zelda and other Zelda characters belong to Nintendo.**

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(Fledge's POV)

I watched him from afar, the way he rode on his loftwing so peacefully was just so majestic. I really liked the way his big and carefree smile along with his free spirited attitude fit the way he was flying. He was amazing in every way. Always full of energy, always caring of his friends, and he has such a big heart and is always doing things for everyone and never asking for anything in return. His name is Link, and he is the one that has stolen my heart.

I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Fledge, and I'm a student over at the Knight Academy here in Skyloft. I'm not exactly what you would call a knight, or at the very least what a knight would be like, and in a way, look like. I'm not very good when it comes to what the others are capable of, like flying a loftwing. I usually stay in the sidelines and watch as everyone else flies around or goes through some training courses. In summary, I'm not the best when it comes to being a knight. But I wasn't really concerned with that at the moment, all I focused on was Link on his loftwing. And yes, I'm a boy, and I'm gay. I personally prefer the term homosexual; I don't have a problem with the word gay, but with the way people seem to use it, homosexual just sounds more of a nicer word. I watched Link as he rode his loftwing without a care in the world; I watched as his hair moved freely with the wind, his chiseled smile, which looks like it was sculpted by an angel by the way, not seeming to leave anytime soon, and just his overall sense of freedom that he had was what made me really adore him.

I was still on the ground, but I still watched Link fly around, and he seemed to be having lots of fun, as usual. Sometimes I wish I could ride a loftwing to experience the rush and excitement that Link must feel all the time. But for now, I just stayed here on the solid ground of Skyloft, and just kept watching Link, that is until I heard an all too familiar voice behind me.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Shrimp."

I sighed and turned around to see Groose, along with Cawlin and Stritch, standing in front of me. They were the local hotshots around here, and also the biggest bullies in all of the sky. They would always go after me, I am admittedly an easy target, but I try to stay strong and pray that they would eventually stop.

"Groose, please leave me alone." I told him.

Groose just laughed as he walked towards me.

"Now why would I do that? I'm just here to give you some company." He said.

I just ignored him and went back to looking at Link. And apparently he saw me looking up at Link, and started laughing again.

"What are you looking at?" He laughed. "You're staring at that loser Link, aren't you?"

Cawlin and Stritch laughed at what Groose had said, obviously thinking it was a joke.

"Leave me alone." I muttered under my breathe.

Cawlin suddenly came up to me and grabbed my hand.

"Listen here chump, you don't seem to know when to stop talking." Said Cawlin. "I'm sure you don't want any trouble, we just came to give you some company, you lonely sap."

"So just shut your yapper, you'll have plenty of time to look at your boyfriend. We just want to talk to you." Said Stritch.

"Sh-Shut up, he's not my boyfriend." I told them. "And I'm not ga-"

"Shut your mouth! You don't have room to talk, shrimp!" Groose shouted.

I flinched when he shouted at me, but what got me the most is when he started cracking his knuckles, and that's when I felt Cawlin and Stritch grab my arms.

"You shouldn't have done that." Said Cawlin.

"Now you're going to get it."

I looked at Groose after Stritch had said that. He got closer and grabbed my chin, and brought it up so that I'd look at him.

"You're going to get it, you gay prick." He winded his fast back; and smirked at me. "Don't worry, this'll only hurt a lot."

I closed my eyes, and waited for Groose to start my beat down, I was confused when it never came. I felt Cawlin and Stritch's grip on me loosen up, I opened my eyes to see Zelda stand in front of me.

"Groose, what do you think you're doing?" She asked.

Groose started to stutter before he was able to come up with a coherent sentence.

"W-Well, I was just... Trying to tell my friend here some techniques on riding a loftwing." He said with a dumb, and goofy look on his face.

I couldn't see Zelda's face, but the silence that followed Groose's explanation gave me an idea of what she was thinking.

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" She asked, putting her hands to her hips. "I know what you're about Groose, and I wouldn't believe that even, if you were telling the truth."

Groose let out a grunt, and I instantly felt Cawlin grab my arm again, hard might I add.

"Hey, Groose says he was trying to help Fledgey here, and he ain't lying!"

"And who are you to be defending Groose?"

Cawlin turned around to see who was talking to him, and was shocked. I looked back to see who it was as well, and was as surprised as Cawlin when I saw Link.

"Let him go." Link said in his deep serious voice.

Cawlin got the message and so did Stritch, and let me go. I went up to Link and stood beside him, Zelda came and stood beside Link as well.

"Groose, what do you accomplish from picking on Fledge?" Asked Zelda.

"Whoa, whoa, why are you going after me for this?" He asked.

"You're kidding right?" Asked Link, crossing his arms. "You pick on Fledge any chance you get."

"What's it to you, Stink? Are you defending this gay faggot?"

"Hey! Watch what you say, you have no reason to call people names like that!" Said Zelda.

"Don't act like it's not true." Cawlin added.

"You be quiet!" Link said, pointing to Cawlin. "All you guys do is pick on Fledge for no reason other than just being selfish bullies!"

"You three should be ashamed of yourselves!" Said Zelda.

Groose let out a sound grunt, and looked at Link and Zelda.

"Shut up! All of you!" He yelled. "I don't need to deal with this! You two can cover for gay boy all you want." He looked over at Cawlin and Stritch. "Come on guys, let's go to Cucco-Fil-A. At least there won't be any gay faggots there."

Groose walked off with Cawlin and Stritch following right behind.

"I can't believe those three." Zelda said, shaking her head at them, and then looked at me. "I'm going to tell my dad and the headmasters. I'm sorry for what happened Fledge." With that, she walked off to the academy.

"I can't believe those three, either." Link muttered as he walked off too.

I went to grab his hand before he could go anywhere.

"Link, wait"

Link turned around to look at me, the look on his face was warm and welcoming.

"Yeah, Fledge?"

"Thank you for helping me. You and Zelda."

Link smiled at me. "It's no problem at all Fledge." He put a hand to my shoulder and chuckled. "You seem to be getting more and more attention I've noticed, not all of it good."

I laughed along with him, although, it was true.

"Yeah. It has been more of a pain than before, but I guess I eventually have to deal with it." I laughed again, but I soon stopped when Link wasn't laughing too. I looked up at him to see one the most serious faces he's ever made.

"Fledge, you know as well as I do that that is not true. You're a good person, and you don't deserve to deal with the bullying you get, let alone getting bullied from Groose of all people."

I looked down at the ground, disappointed with myself for saying such things. I knew Link was right, I guess I just believed what always came to me was how I was to going to go through the rest of my life.

"Fledge?"

I looked up at Link to see his bright smile once again.

"I heard a rumor once, and I know that's the reason that Groose picks on you more, but it had me thinking of something. Now I know it's dumb to believe a rumor, but I heard somewhere that you were... Not exactly like the other guys." He said awkwardly.

"Huh?"

"You know, that you don't swing the right way."

I kept staring at him, seriously confused by what he was getting at.

"I heard that you were gay." He said bluntly.

"Oh..."

"I'm sorry for having to be blunt about it. But is it true, are you gay?"

I kept my head down wanting to avoid his eyes. My orientation was not something I was comfortable sharing with others, not even Link.

"W-Well, it was a rumor, wasn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I was just curious, but it's not really my business to ask you something so personal." He said.

I felt butterflies in my stomach, I honestly did want to tell him the truth, but like he said, it was something that was personal, so either way it was embarrassing.

"I guess I'll see you around, Fledge." He said, breaking me out of my train of thought.

He once again walked off to the Dock ledge, no doubt to fly his loftwing again.

"Link." I called for him again.

He turned back around and walked up to me again.

"What is it, Fledge?"

I took a deep breathe and just let my thoughts be known.

"About the rumors you heard... They are true." I said.

The look of disbelief that was on Link's face admittedly got me worried, but there was no going back, so I continued.

"I am gay. It was something that I've known for quite a while, but I never really talked about it to anyone, for obvious reasons. I don't exactly know who started the rumors, or weather or not he or she knew I was gay, but I knew I was in a bad situation, especially concerning Groose. I was ashamed for what became of me, and I decided to not only ignore it, but just give up the attempt to the possibility of being accepted."

I let my head down and brought my hands up to my head and began to cry, not caring that it was in front of Link. As I suspected, It was a touchy subject and I shouldn't have brought it up. But I felt pair of hands on my shoulders and I was suddenly brought for a warm embrace. I looked up to see that it was Link who had brought me in for a hug. I hugged him back and let myself cry. Link rubbed my back as he spoke to me.

"Fledge, there's nothing wrong with being gay. Sometimes things like this come as a shock to people, but that's only because there used to normal things." He said to me in the most comforting way ever. "Don't ever let people make you think that you're a freak or something just because of something so foolish as your orientation."

I looked up at Link, letting out some sniffles. He bought his hand up to my face and wiped a stray tear off.

"You're gay because that's the way you were born. Don't ever let people, especially that idiot Groose, tell you differently. To me, you're the same old Fledge I always knew, and that'll never change."

I smiled up at Link and gave him another hug.

"Thank you Link, you're such a great friend."

"I always help those in need, and you're no acception."

"It is a bummer that not everyone is as accepting as you Link. I mean, I'm not even allowed near Cucco-Fil-A."

"Believe me, that place is not as good as people say it is."

I laughed with Link for a good while, before he got my attention again.

"You mind if I ask you another personal question? If not, then that's fine." He said.

"Not at all."

"Do you have a crush on someone?"

I blushed when he asked me that. Somehow I expecting him to ask that, but it was still a shock to me. I turned away, unable to look at him and wanting to avoid his gaze.

"Not necessarily." I said.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, I do have a crush on someone, but it's too embarrassing to say who it is."

There was a few minutes of silence before Link grabbed my chin again and made me look at him.

"Is it me?" He asked.

I was more than shocked at Link for saying that, but he couldn't have been more right, even if he did just guess.

"H-How did you know?"

He smirked at me before answering.

"I noticed the way you've been looking at me as of late, Fledge." He smirked again.

I instantly started to blush when he said that.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not mad, I actually find that a bit flattering."

I looked up at him, in complete shock.

"Y-You do?"

He nodded, smiling that great smile that I like about him. But his smile soon disappeared.

"But you have to understand that I'm not gay." He said, solemnly. "It just wouldn't work between us. I assure you, it's not personal."

I brought my head down again. This was also something I saw coming, and I knew it had a higher chance of being true, but it still hurts to know the truth. I felt Link grab my chin once again and brought my head up to look at him, and he once again smiled that great smile of his.

"But that doesn't mean that you've lost a chance at being happy." He said. "I think the fact that you're gay makes you more special than you already are." He said. "To me, you deserve to be happy, no matter what."

I couldn't help but just smile the entire time Link talked.

"I may not like you the way you like me, but I'm sure there is someone you'll find that's right for you, and you're going to be a very happy person with them."

I wiped a stray tear from my eye and looked at him.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

He then brought me in for another hug, and I hugged him back. I still sniffled and cried a bit, but I couldn't have been more happy than I was right now. Soon we broke the hug and looked at each other again, then Link grabbed my shoulder and patted it.

"I'm proud of you Fledge, you were able to open up to me."

"Thanks. I'm glad it was you I opened to."

"I can't think of anyone else who's more understanding and compassionate as I am. Well, except maybe Zelda." He said.

We laughed for a while and then we looked at each other again.

"I should get going, the sky is calling for me." He said. He gave me a pat on my shoulder again. "Remember what I said Fledge, you're who you are because that's the way you were made. Embrace it, because you're more special than you realize."

"You got it!" I nodded.

He smiled before running up to the dock ledge, and jumped off. The sound of him calling his loftwing could be heard, and he flew up on his red loftwing. I smiled again as I saw him fly off, somehow I knew he was a great guy when he had his loftwing, a red one is hard to tame, as well as rare. I turned around and decided to head back to my room in the knight academy. That talk with Link was more than what I could've wanted, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm glad it all happened, because I came out a now confident person, and I don't need to worry anymore, thanks to the one I love.

Thank you, Link.

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 **I hope you enjoyed the fanfic.**

 **For anyone out there that is gay and is scarred of what people would think of you because you're gay and you know you'll get bullied, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. I know that the way people are sometimes towards homosexuality can be brutal and it's just ignorant accusations, but just remember that they don't know what they're talking about most of the time. Everyone has their preferences for everything, and that's fine, but also remember that most people probably don't know what it's like to be different, gay in this case, and they end up going against you simply because they don't understand. You were born the way you were, and nothing can change that, and like Link told Fledge, I think that because you're gay, that makes more special than you already are.**

 **Thank you for reading, and have a great day!**


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